A new high-tech camera at North Vancouver’s Lions Gate Hospital is helping survivors of human trafficking, sexual assault and domestic violence better document their injuries.
CortexFlo, the new $37,000-camera, is the latest equipment in the hospital’s forensic nursing services unit, funded by the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation.
Jacquie Miller, co-ordinator of the unit, said the camera uses blue lighting to identify injuries and substances that might not otherwise be visible to the naked eye.
“It’s an incredibly helpful tool in forensics to have at our disposal, which is wonderful because then we’re just better able to help our survivors,” Miller said. “Having the camera will more accurately depict a survivor’s injuries and could potentially be beneficial for them in court.”
Images captured by the camera can be encrypted and transferred to a DVD, allowing the evidence to be securely shared with police, if the subject wishes, Miller said.
Vancouver Coastal Health launched the forensic nursing services unit last year to provide care to survivors of human trafficking, sexual assault and domestic violence after community advocates identified a need for local services.
Anyone age 13 and older can use the services in the program. The unit offers emotional support, treatment of injuries including sexually transmitted infections, emergency medical care and contraception, collection and storage of forensic evidence and safety planning. The program is patient centred, meaning the survivor can choose what services they need depending on what they feel comfortable with, Miller said.
Before the program’s launch, patients on the North Shore had to travel across the bridges for sexual assault services and as far as Surrey for forensic photography, Miller said.
“That’s quite a drive for some people,” she said. “Reducing the barriers and having specialized services locally is so incredibly important.”
After Miller joined the unit last year, she began consulting with other institutions that use forensic documentation including the Surrey Memorial and Abbotsford Regional hospitals and law enforcement detachments to see how it could be used effectively to benefit survivors.
Sexual assault survivors finding help on the North Shore
Since the forensic nursing services unit’s launch, Miller said they have seen 80 cases, with roughly half being related to domestic violence and half for sexual assaults. Survivors have come from across the province and range between ages 13 to 80, but the most common demographic is women between 30 to 39 years old. In most cases, the attacks came from someone they knew, according to a press release from Vancouver Coastal Health.
The forensic nursing program fills a vital gap for those survivors, said Kathy McLellan, director of clinical programs for Family Services of the North Shore, which provides support for gender-based violence, trauma and abuse, among other programs.
“How the community responds to a survivor is critical for the survivor's healing,” McLellan said. “Having these services in the community highlights that we understand this is something that’s happening and it’s safe to reach out to services.”
Since the forensic nursing unit launched at Lions Gate Hospital, the non-profit has seen a 43-per cent increase in clients accessing their services with just under half being referred directly from the program. On average, the non-profit is seeing 25 new clients per month, said sexual assault support worker Anna Nelson.
As sexual assault is typically an under-reported crime, McLellan, Nelson and Miller said they are hoping to raise awareness on the programs offered on the North Shore to let people know there’s help available.
“After a traumatic event, I can see it being really hard for someone to go research, ‘What should I be doing?’ But if they have that knowledge beforehand and they know what services are available, it’s easier to go out and seek that support,” Nelson said.
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
https://bsky.app/profile/abbyluciano.bsky.social
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